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as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the payoff on the investment was only about $500
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pivotal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pay off
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
This time his patience paid off, as Rafaela got a much better look on a 3-2 pitch and was able to knock it up the middle to drive in a pair of runs.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2025
Alex Sherman, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
In the opening weekend of MLS’s 30th season, the payoff from that kind of aggressive model was evident in multiple markets.
—Paul Tenorio, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay off
Verb
The risk paid off with a nomination, though not a trophy, and helped push the boundaries of what was permissible in movies in ways that would never be pushed back.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
This time his patience paid off, as Rafaela got a much better look on a 3-2 pitch and was able to knock it up the middle to drive in a pair of runs.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
Netflix views tonnage as an unnecessary burden, inflating the cost of sports for little to no payoff.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
In the opening weekend of MLS’s 30th season, the payoff from that kind of aggressive model was evident in multiple markets.
—Paul Tenorio, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay off
Verb
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The big picture: Price elasticity measures the degree to which consumers are willing, or unwilling, to pay higher prices for certain items.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
10 Mar. 2025
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Americans pay an average of $14,000 a year in federal taxes, but in some states, the local tax burden is significantly higher than in others.—
Ben Kesslen,
Quartz,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Since 1977, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) has prohibited U.S. companies and individuals from bribing foreign officials to gain a business advantage.—
Henry Gass,
The Christian Science Monitor,
28 Feb. 2025
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In addition, longtime Coral Gables police officer Edwin Pagan III, a deputized DEA agent, was charged in November with playing a supporting role in the conspiracy to bribe Costanzo with tens of thousands of dollars for access to confidential information about drug-trafficking suspects.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Putting aside the many risks, there are clearly vast profits to be made in doing business with Russia, which incidentally also has the world’s fourth biggest reserves of rare earths, far bigger than Ukraine’s.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
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As outlined in a U.S. Supreme Court case, a key test for whether an investment product is a security is whether people are investing in a common enterprise with the expectation of profit.—
Hannah Lang,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cancer: Cindy Brady As the sweet and innocent youngest daughter in the Brady family, Cindy is a pivotal family member.—
Athena Sobhan,
People.com,
8 Mar. 2025
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This is a pivotal moment to foster a more inclusive and equitable financial system.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Avs looking forward Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland met with local media earlier this week and hinted captain Gabriel Landeskog likely wasn’t coming back before the end of the regular season.—
Pierre LeBrun,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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Unlike a year ago in February, when the teams met in uptown, Seth Curry wasn’t relegated to joining father Dell Curry as a guest analyst in the FanDuel Sports Southeast booth because of an injury.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Michael Rubin’s company has partnered with Ticketmaster to create the Fanatics Ticket Marketplace, where users on the Fanatics app can now buy resale tickets alongside apparel, merchandise, trading cards and collectibles.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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In a joint address to Congress in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Trump touted BlackRock’s deal to buy the two Panama Canal ports.—
Zinnia Lee,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Organizations that embrace this shift—leveraging freelance platforms as integral extensions of their workforce and using AI as the connective tissue—will gain a decisive edge in innovation, agility, and speed.—
John Winsor,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Brown assisted on Horford’s decisive layup and blocked two shots in the fourth quarter, helping offset his 0-for-5 shooting over the final 17 minutes.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.—
Chris Vannini,
The Athletic,
9 Dec. 2024
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As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.—
Journal Sentinel,
Journal Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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